How to Take Care of Crawdads

Crawdads, also known as crayfish and crawfish, are an easy pet to keep due to their remarkable evolution that has allowed them to survive in almost any aquatic environment. With a little bit of hard work and effort, any hopeful crawdad owner can care for crawdads and receive long-term rewards.

Things You'll Need

  • 20-gallon aquarium
  • Air bubble filter
  • Dechlorination kit
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Banana peels
  • Algae scrubber
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Instructions

  1. How to Care for Crawdads.

    • 1

      Place your 20-gallon aquarium in a location that is neither directly exposed to light nor directly exposed to cold. Fill your aquarium with tap water and dechlorinate the water with your kit down to 1/1000th or unless stated otherwise for crustaceans. Measure the temperature and ensure the water temperature stays between 50 F and 85 F.

    • 2

      Place your aquarium gravel evenly along the bottom of your filled tank. Place your air bubble filter in a corner of the tank and cover it with some pebbles to hold the air bubble down. Turn on all aquarium equipment and place your crawdad into the aquarium.

    • 3

      Feed your crawdad banana peels cut into 3-inch pieces once a week. The banana peels provide all necessary nutrients for your crawdad as well as a 24/7 food source. Clean your tank using an algae scrubber once a month to scrape the algae off the sides of the aquarium.